Motor vehicles typically include a closure release for deck lids and lift gates. When a user interacts with the closure release by contact or a lifting motion, the closure release typically decouples the closure from the vehicle body at a latched connection and permits the user to open the closure either under their own strength or with the assistance of other vehicle components (for example, lift cylinders). When the vehicle only includes a closure release on a rear closure, this closure release is typically located on a centerline of the vehicle (that is, an imaginary line through the axis of symmetry of the vehicle). This positioning of the closure release both provides an intuitive grasp location for the user as well as offering a central loading of the closure when the customer lifts the closure or one of its panels during opening.
In some instances, a rear viewing camera is also installed on the vehicle. This camera typically would also be best positioned on centerline of vehicle in order to deliver the desired field of view of the rear area of the vehicle.
However, for vehicles having both a closure release and a camera on the same closure, the current state of art is that one or both of the camera and the release assembly components associated with the closure release are positioned off of the centerline of the vehicle to allow each other to have a slightly compromised, but still adequate, positioning in order to achieve their desired functions. In some cases, the closure release must also be reduced in cross car dimension to accommodate the positioning of the two unique assemblies as close to one another as possible.